Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lusaka Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lusaka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $876 in Lusaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,489 in Lusaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,103 in Lusaka.

Living in Medellin is roughly 16% more expensive than Lusaka, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Lusaka 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$7.11 ZMW 127

-15.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$24.96 ZMW 446

31.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$3.63 ZMW 64.8

95.32%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.01 ZMW 35.86

-14.93%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.73 ZMW 13.05

50.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.34 ZMW 6.04

129.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$0.96 ZMW 17.05

75.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$1.82 ZMW 32.42

68.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.26 ZMW 22.53

-13.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.74 ZMW 13.16

70.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.58 ZMW 28.26

-12.66%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.77 ZMW 31.65

23.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$7.86 ZMW 140

-44.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.83 ZMW 68.4

47.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$4.57 ZMW 81.6

94.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.50 ZMW 44.69

-6.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.58 ZMW 28.28

-32.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$2.69 ZMW 47.96

-44.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.17 ZMW 20.91

17.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.87 ZMW 33.43

-38.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$1.38 ZMW 24.63

-15.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.87 ZMW 15.54

2.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.52 ZMW 9.30

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$2.54 ZMW 45.39

-10.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$10.95 ZMW 195

-2.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.13 ZMW 20.24

6.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$1.50 ZMW 26.75

64.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.96 ZMW 17.11

-10.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$38.24 ZMW 683

8.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$2.79 ZMW 49.72

-47.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$1.15 ZMW 20.50

70.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$8.92 ZMW 159

-13.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.19 ZMW 21.29

-20.17%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$7,968 ZMW 142.2K

127.56%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$28.4K ZMW 506.8K

-6.71%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$90.1 ZMW 1,608

-8.69%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$53.6 ZMW 956

-82.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$127 ZMW 2,263

-80.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$45.11 ZMW 805

-42.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$13.99 ZMW 250

35.81%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.29 ZMW 76.6

-8.39%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$309 COP 1.1M

$177 ZMW 3,161

74.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$9,528 ZMW 170.1K

-37.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$19.25 ZMW 344

204.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$17.27 ZMW 308

87.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$86.0 ZMW 1,535

19.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$73.7 ZMW 1,316

47.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$224 ZMW 4,007

112.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$120 ZMW 2,148

214.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$1,053 ZMW 18.8K

-20.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$585 ZMW 10.4K

23.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$1,973 ZMW 35.2K

41.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$4,281 ZMW 76.4K

-71.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$296 ZMW 5,286

72.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-46.28%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lusaka: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $224 in Lusaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 73% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $25.00 in Lusaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $177 per month, with Lusaka cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Medellin vs Lusaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Lusaka differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $876 including rent). Lusaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 73% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $224 in Lusaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $876 in Lusaka – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lusaka runs roughly 8% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $876 in Lusaka versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lusaka but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lusaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Lusaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.